The Gerrymandering Scandal Exposed

[hue]

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2012/02/gerrymandering-scandal-exposed.html

In the past week, some of the sordid details behind the reprehensible gerrymandering stunt foisted upon Wisconsin voters by the Republicans were uncovered. Even back when the gerrymandering was finally made public, local Republican officials called the stunt unethical.

Earlier this week, it was learned that money-loving voter-hating Republicans again violated open meeting laws and had signed a pact to keep the truth behind the gerrymandering a secret while they had a whole different set of talking point to feed the public.

Just days later, it was learned that the two GOP operatives legislative aides, Tad Ottman and Adam Foltz, who had worked with the Republicans private law firm, Michael Best and Friedrich, while drawing up the maps and the secret talking points, were still working out of those offices, more than six months after the maps were approved by the Republicans,even though they're collecting their paychecks from the taxpayers.

[think]

1. K&R The video in the link is absolutely worth watching!

Not sure who the person filming this is but thank you for this look into unethical slimy right wing political thuggery.

[Scuba]

2. Must-watch TV for Cheeseheads. These bastards are going to go down, hard....

... and it's starting to look like the law will get them before the recall.

[BlueToTheBone]

3. Good to see rocks being turned over

to shed light on the vermin in the Greedy Old Pig party!

[sybylla]

4. Sybylla's Prediction: This will be the issue that gets our recalled senators turned out.

Nobody - I don't care what party you're in - likes secret government proceedings.

Besides the fact that they look ethically challenged for doing it, the bigger question is why, if their redistricting process was on the up and up, didn't they think they could defend it? Who or what were they afraid of?

The only way they stand a chance of getting reelected is if they turn on their party leadership - "They made me do it" or "I had no choice" followed by a careful and detailed description of how they were strong-armed into signing this undemocratic pledge might be the only way to restore a sliver integrity.

[hue]

5. It seems the press really doesn't care...this happened last July & we have hardly heard a word...

The Repubs do not have the word "ethics" in their vocabulary. It means nothing to them as was
demonstrated by Tad Ottman & Adam Foltz when they coldly walked away.
It would be nice to see some of this footage on the news, but I think it's unlikely.

[midnight]

6. Another great piece, but I'm wondering how or if Michael Bests law partner, Biskupic is

helping in this matter too? Maybe not, but after reading a few of your's and other posts here, his name is starting to pop up?

[TxVietVet]

7. Dang! This gets better and better every day.

I mean, the conservanazis have had power for a little over a year and now more and more scandals are being discovered. I worked with a lot of UNION members that love the conservanazis and their hate radio programs. They see nothing wrong with their party not obeying the laws, but shame on a Dem/lib/progressive who doesn't.

I hope this cripples the conservanazis for decades.

[dragonlady]

8. Why did all the Republicans sign the secrecy pledges? The answer won't surprise you

Now thanks to Wisconsin Public Television we have the answer, which was rumored through all last year, they were blackmailed. They were shown two sets of maps and told that if they did not go along with Walker and the Fitzgeralds, they'd get the "less favorable" one.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/12/1064112/-Redistricting-redux-Why-did-WI-republicans-sign-secrecy-pledges-Blackmail-?detail=hide

[hue]

9. I'm willing to bet blackmailing goes on quite frequently among Repukes.

I'll bet the threat of these kind of "consequences" is the rule rather than the exception for all Repukes--not just WI ones.
There may even be quite nefarious and personal types of blackmail used to control their puppets. I'm just sayin'.

[dragonlady]

10. Federal Court orders turning over 84 more documents

The Republicans have been stonewalling on turning over another 84 secret documents, many of them e-mails, that they say are covered by attorney-client privilege. The court has lost patience and ordered them to turn in the documents by 4:30 this afternoon, under seal, so the court can decide whether they can be released to the plaintiffs.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/judges-tell-gop-officials-to-submit-redistricting-documents-under-seal-dc46qah-139303918.html

[hue]

12. here's the follow up---> Judge Orders Redistricting Documents Submitted

http://www.politiscoop.com/us-politics/wisconsin-politics/743-judge-orders-redistricting-documents-submitted.html

Madison -- A panel of judges has ordered republican lawmakers to turn over copies of 84 documents under seal later Tuesday so they can decide whether they must be released to citizens suing them. Republican attorneys claim the documents mainly consist of emails, and had until 4:30pm today to hand them over to the court.
The panel said in its order Tuesday that it wants to make a decision quickly because the latest dispute over the documents has surfaced just a week before a trial is to begin Feb. 21. On Friday a Republican lawmaker came forward to say that he was shown two versions of the contentious maps and was told that if he didn't sign onto the Republican plan, the less favorable version of the map shown to the legislator would become law.

The number of outstanding documents Republicans want kept from the public eye are said to be emails, however, if what the lawmaker told Wisconsin Public Television is true, those documents very well may be many variations of district maps. If this is the case, then, questions will arise if they haven't already, such as: Did the Republicans engage in what is known as logrolling?

[hue]

11. I just don't feel confident that the Repukes will hand over everything.

The trial on this begins in one week!! I hope it goes quickly!!!